1. Field of the Invention.
A non-personnel lifting device is disclosed for transporting property between one floor and another floor in a building having at least two floors.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Various type of elevators and lifting devices have been proposed in the past.
Schreiber et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,236 discloses a mountable hoist used as a non-personnel lifting device. The invention allows articles to be lifted by the hoist to any desired height including a height above the top of the hoist principal channel member. The patent teaches that a mountable hoist 9 includes a principal channel 10 and a secondary channel 12 movably mounted therein. Principal channel 10 is preferably a segmented channel member which can be increased in height to correspond to the level of the scaffold associated therewith. (Col. 2,.Lines 59-64). This arrangement is best shown in FIG. 2 where secondary channel 12 is shown to telescope within the primary channel 10.
Seitz, U.S. Pat. No. 1,596,462 also discloses a hoist and corresponding hoist frame. The patent teaches that one of the objects of the invention is the provision of a hoist frame in the form of a tower made up of a plurality of sections, thereby permitting the height thereof to be varied according to the requirements. The patent specifically teaches that each of the standards 14 and 17 is provided at its lower end with a sleeve like extension 18, attached in any suitable manner thereto, the outer diameter of the said extension fitting closely into the respective standard to which it is attached, and also into the standard below the same. In order to hold the tower sections in proper positions, the top tower 16 is provided with a plurality of hooks 19xe2x80x2 to which are fastened the ends of cables 19xe2x80x2 the lower ends of the ladder being wound upon drums 20. (Page 1, lines 62-73). Thus, Seitz discloses one form of a telescopic frame as clearly shown in FIG. 5. This patent also teaches the provisions of platforms 52 which may be placed upon the sectional tower.
Druschel, U.S. Pat. No. 1,658,042 discloses a portable elevator. The frame includes splice plates 26, having a series of holes 27, rigidly secured to the flanges at the bottom end of the upper and intermediate runway channels and splice angles 28, having a series of holes 29, which are rigidly secured to the outside of the webs at the upper ends of the lower and intermediate runway channels, as plainly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When the upper and lower channels are aligned with their ends abutting, holes 27 will align with holes 29, and bolts may be passed through these holes to hold the runway sections in proper alignment as shown in FIG. 5. Looking at FIGS. 3 and 4, it appears that some height adjustment could be made by selecting which holes 27 align with which holes 29.
Esenmann, U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,505; Rivera, U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,190; and Olsen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,641 each teach the provision of elevator guide rails which are formed with segments which are abutted end to end.
Finally, Olsen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,230; and Fitzgibbon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,761 each disclose elevator systems which employ a top mounted motor with an associated sprocket gear and chain mechanism to provide the lifting force.
There remains a need for a lifting device which is adjustable and flexible and which can be easily installed between floor joists and ceiling joists of existing buildings.
There further remains a need for a lifting device that utilizes inner xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d shaped track as a part of the guide rails and wall frame members.
There further remains a need for a lifting device which utilizes base and ceiling frames attached to an-existing structure to which all the framing hardware is attached.
A lifting device is disclosed for transporting items of personal property between one floor and another floor in a building having at least two floors, said building also having a lowermost floor of said building being served by said lifting device and an uppermost floor of said building being served by said lifting device. In its simplest form the device comprises:
a. an outer frame having a floor frame portion and a ceiling frame portion provided on each of said at least two floors including the lowermost floor and the uppermost floor of said building, said floor frame portion and said-ceiling frame portion on each floor being interconnected a plurality of wall frame members, said wall frame members being adjustable in height to facilitate installation of the lifting device in said building;
b. a pair of spaced apart guide rails attached to said outer frame and extending between the floor of the lowermost floor and the ceiling of the uppermost floor, said guide rails being vertically positioned [and adjustable in height to facilitate installation of the lifting device in said building];
c. a lift container having a top wall, a bottom wall and at least one side wall (preferably a pair of side walls), each of said side walls having guide members positioned thereon to guide the lift container along said guide rails and to allow the lift container to move vertically along said guide rails; and
d. drive means comprising a motorized drive pulley, a plurality of idler pulleys and drive belt means, said drive belt means connected by a first connection means at one end to said top wall of said lifting container and connected by a second connection means at an opposite end to the bottom wall of said lifting container, said drive belt means in contact with said drive pulley and said idler pulleys and being powered by said drive pulley whereby operating the drive pulley in a first direction causes the lift container to move vertically upward and operating said drive pulley in a second direction causes the lift container to move vertically downward to desired locations between the lowermost floor and the uppermost floor.
Various preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described. Preferably, said floor frame portion is positioned over two adjacent spaced-apart floor joists whereby said floor joists support opposite sides of said floor frame portion and wherein the floor frame portion leaves the entire space between the floor joists open and unobstructed. Similarly, said ceiling frame portion is positioned under two adjacent spaced-apart ceiling joists whereby said ceiling joists secure opposite sides of said ceiling frame portion and wherein the ceiling frame portion leaves the entire space between the ceiling joists open and unobstructed.
Preferably, said adjustable side rails and said wall frame members each consist of a xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d shaped inner track piece of which telescopically slides into an outer rail member. Further, said outer rail and inner track member preferably has a generally C-shaped cross-sectional configuration.
The lift container guide members are preferably formed of a non-metallic material such as plastic.
The drive belt means preferably further comprises a toothed belt attached at one end to the top wall of said lifting container, said toothed belt in contact with-said motorized drive pulley and attached at the other end to a wire rope, said wire rope connected to the, bottom wall of said container. An optional counter weight may be provided at the connection point between said toothed belt and said wire rope.
The said second connection means preferably includes a hook on the bottom of said lift container to facilitate attachment of said drive belt means. Said second connection means also preferably includes a tensioning safety spring means. Still further, said second connection means includes a tightening turnbuckle to tighten and maintain a proper tension on said drive belt means. Finally, said second connection means includes a one way self lock device to facilitate attachment of said drive belt means.